17 ways to get active outside

Fitness

17 ways to get active outside

Escape into the
great outdoors – the green gym – and exercise becomes more holistic, inspiring your spirit and calming your mind while toning your muscles. In one study, 72 per cent of green gym participants were still active after six months – you can't say that for many gym memberships.

1. Join a green gym Although there are set warm-up and cool-down routines in a "green gym", there are no gym-like exercises. You get fit by helping to conserve the landscape (usually in a country park or wildlife sanctuary) – cutting back undergrowth, making paths, and building dry-stone walls, hedging or planting trees, with all the walking, carrying, and digging such tasks involve. The
activities change with the seasons and as you work, you learn about biodiversity and habitat, and the history of the landscape or species you're helping to conserve. The biggest buzz is not the noticeable effects on body and mind or the close friendships forged, but the tangible results on the landscape.

2. Country garden exercise The grounds of many country houses or gardens feature trails suited to different levels of fitness and ability, from wheelchair tracks and one-mile beginner walks to high-energy hill climbs. Some doctors may be able to enrol you on a leisure-walking scheme that offers free entry and a guide. Walk with the seasons and savour the differences as the months roll by.
3. Seasonal fun Plan
walks that change with the seasons – find circular trails that take in spring blossom, bluebell woods, displays of autumn foliage, and early morning winter frosting.
Page 1 of 4 - Eager to explore? Go for a walk outside, or try birdwatching. Find more tips for staying in shape on page 2.

Excerpted from
1,001 Ways to Get in Shape, copyright 2009 by Susannah Marriott. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
4. Walk a barefoot trailOutdoor barefoot
walking trails are popular in Germany and China, and 2005 research showed that over their various-textured surfaces for 30 minutes three times a week for four months improved balance and blood pressure. Make a barefoot trail in your garden by laying down garden canes, gravel and pebbles, crunchy leaves and bark chippings, soft sand, cold water, and even mud. Take off your shoes and walk over each surface very slowly.
5. Country walkAt the weekend,
appreciate the countryside in which your food grows by planning out a walk that takes in a farm shop or farm-gate stall. As you walk, notice how the methods of cultivation and choice of crop or livestock have moulded the look of the countryside, and point this out to children to help them make the connection between what they eat and where it grows.
6. Watch the birdieIn the spring take a walk in local woodlands or reed-beds as the sun rises to see how many birdsongs you can recognize. Dawn-chorus walks organized by experts help novices learn to identify calls, and improve fitness while they are at it.

7. No time to walk?Walk by night, when work and
housework are over and children are in bed. Is there a full-moon or women's nightwalking group in your area? Try to walk in silence, at least one way to better experience night's different sounds and textures. There is safety in numbers, so take a friend.
8. Learn country craftsCountry crafts sessions using native materials get you out into the countryside gathering materials before teaching the intellectual skills and body know-how to work them into beautiful objects. Look for courses in basket-weaving, building willow structures, rope-making, carving greenwood furniture, or hedgerow winemaking.

Page 2 of 4 - Learn how to relax and use nature as therapy with helpful advice on page 3.

Excerpted from
1,001 Ways to Get in Shape, copyright 2009 by Susannah Marriott. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.

9. "Grow your own" dayOpen days at organic farms and agricultural colleges offer outdoor talks, demonstrations, and hands-on guides to
cultivating vegetables. Sometimes there's a focus on one crop, such as chillies or onions, with resident experts, and at other venues you get to cook and eat the produce.
10. Try a conservation vacationVisit some of the finest landscapes in the world and help to conserve them as you tone up, whether working on sites of classical heritage in Albania, doing coastal work to benefit birds and their nest-building in Bulgaria, or conserving the habitat of endangered primates in Cameroon. Accommodation is often simple and you have to help out with cooking, but that only adds to the sense of adventure. To find opportunities, look at
The Canadian Wildlife Federation's website.
11. Active learningA 2004 review of research found that getting away from a book and computer-based setting enhances learning. Being active in memorable place has an especially positive impact on long-term fact-retention: the more senses you use as you learn, the more of the brain that is employed in retaining memory. If you are studying, get into the great outdoors to shape up your cognitive skills.
12. Wilderness therapyEncourage kids to take part in outdoor activity camps and trips to wild places. A 2006 review of research concluded that
wilderness experiences are very important for a child's physical, emotional, cognitive and mental, and social development. Being in extreme places seems to forge long-lasting behavioural changes by forcing young people to think responsibly, look after themselves, and protect others.

Page 3 of 4 - Give foodies in your house some time away from the kitchen. Hit the local farmer's market for fresh produce and a great morning outdoors!Excerpted from
1,001 Ways to Get in Shape, copyright 2009 by Susannah Marriott. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.

13. Grown-ups' summer campDon't let kids have all the fun – surprise them by booking yourself onto an activity camp this summer. Ease in gently with a yoga or t'ai chi camp, which offers teachers from diverse schools of practice and early-morning and late-night sessions. A hike camp with dawn-to-dusk guided walks may suit more seasoned exercisers, though even these include gentle rambles and nature-watching sessions suitable for novices.
14. Take a city strollIf you don't live near the countryside you can still exercise in a green way. Buy a guidebook or download a
city walk that takes in handsome buildings, industrial heritage sites, rivers, parks, and cathedrals. If there's a tower, climb the steps to the top for a panoramic view.
15. Celebrate seasonal fareIn town, seek out seasonal festivals celebrating the
harvest. At apple days, sample local varieties and take part in apple-bobbing games; at a tomato festival, sign up for a fruit-throwing contest; at eggplant or pink onion time, enjoy speciality dishes and dancing till dawn.

16. City park fitnessIf you like being pushed to achieve your best, look for army vets teaching fitness sessions in city parks. In addition to push-ups, instructors include team-building games such as tug of war and participants are graded by ability, with fitness-focused, weight-loss, and team-building options.
17. Scavenger huntJoin a team to run about town or countryside for a day or weekend searching for items on a list and photographing them, or performing extreme (often embarrassing) tasks to order – and being taped in the act. The first to finish or the team with the most objects wins.

Page 4 of 4 - Discover great ways get in shape with outdoor activites and the "green gym" on page 1.Excerpted from
1,001 Ways to Get in Shape, copyright 2009 by Susannah Marriott. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.

Culture & Entertainment

Hygge: The Art of "Finding Magic in the Ordinary"

Culture & Entertainment

Hygge: The Art of "Finding Magic in the Ordinary"

Think about some of your warmest memories—drinking wine and reminiscing with girlfriends, chatting with your mom while she whips up a batch of your favourite muffins, having a dinner date that leads to cocktails that leads to stargazing by the water because neither of you want the night to end—that’s hygge. It’s finding happiness in the every day, and all you need to be able to attain it is to know about it.

Some say the Danish word is pronounced “hooga” but according to Marie Tourell Søderberg, author of Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness, it’s like this: The “y” is similar to the French “y” sound—think “huge,” and the “gge” sounds like the first syllable in “girl.” But, it doesn’t really matter how you say "hygge"—you just need to get it. And to get it, you need to know where it comes from.

Hygge originates from a Norwegian word that means “well-being,” and in English, it means “coziness,” but it’s much more than that. Hygge is appreciating the little things in life. It’s “all the small things that make us feel safe, loved and satisfied,” says Søderberg. Hygge is doing things with warmth and joy, being present in the moment, and having a feeling of home—in other words, the Danish way of life.

Denmark is ranked as one of the happiest nations in the world, and hygge is likely an “ingredient in the Danish recipe for happiness,” says author Meik Wiking in his book, The Little Book of Hygge. Compared to other Europeans, Danes “meet most often with their friends and family and feel the calmest and most peaceful.” And that’s why there’s a growing interest in hygge.

Books on the subject are quickly filling up store shelves—a simple Indigo search will pull up more than five books on hygge, all of which have come out in the later half of 2016 (including Søderberg’s and Wiking’s) or will be coming out in the early months of 2017—just in time for winter, which is pretty much the reason why hygge exists.

In her book, Søderberg says, “It originated due to the need to create joy, warmth and togetherness in a country that boasts long, cold winters”—something Canadians can relate to. Hygge encourages you to embrace the cold months instead of waiting for the sun to shine again. But, anyone, anywhere, can enjoy the benefits of hygge any time of year, as it’s all about sharing moments with those you love, indulging in comfort foods, and taking in the sights and sounds around you.

Understanding hygge and having a name for it helps you recognize it and look for it in your day-to-day life. “Including it in our daily narratives and language makes us aware of the qualities of the word. Saying, ‘let’s hygge tonight,’ states a clear intention of what qualities we want our evening to have—presence, lovingness, relaxed, informal—all these qualities in one word,” says Søderberg.

Intimate candlelit dinner parties, mulled wine by a fire and ice skating under twinkling lights are classic hygge moments, but it can also be found when you're not expecting it. Hygge can happen in the least hyggelig (the adjective form of “hygge”) locations or in those in-between moments throughout your day—like when you're hiding from the rain under an awning with a friend, listening to a sax player as you wait for the next subway to arrive, or laughing with your sister over the phone.

Although hygge can happen anywhere, the most common place for it is at home, so it helps to make your living quarters feel warm, safe and welcoming—think candles, warm textiles and plenty of personal touches. In Søderberg’s book, she shares decorating advice from Nordic interior design expert Christina B. Kjeldsen: “The hygge comes when you feel that the person behind the surroundings is completely comfortable with his or her choices, but at the same time isn’t afraid of decorating intuitively and trying out new things and ideas…When you put thoughtfulness into how and why you have chosen to surround yourself with particular furniture, objects, art, flowers, knick-knacks, curtains—whatever—then you relax and your guests will see and know you for who you are.”

But, it’s important not to feel pressure to create a perfect space or occasion and force hygge. Decorate your space for you and not how you think it should be, and let moments unfold naturally—something that can be all too rare in this social media age. Søderberg warns, “The most hyggelig evening can look like a disaster in a picture, and opposite—the least hyggelig can look like a perfect evening.” But, if you have a true hyggling moment, it’ll be a “piece of art to capture the exact sense of an atmosphere in a photo.”

So, keep hygge on your mind. Make plans to hygge, be present in every moment, and soak up life's glories. And if you do, you’ll be gifted with the ability to, as Søderberg says, “[find] the magic in the ordinary.”

Pattern Notes: Twisted rib stitch (worked over an even number of stitches): Row 1 and Row 2: *K1 tbl, p1 tbl* repeat to end of row. Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Casting on: The Honey Stitch Cowl is cast on using the provisional cast on, which leaves the cast-on stitches "live." Because they're "live" and not closed off as with a regular cast on, we can later pick them up and seam them together with the stitches on the needle. There are several ways to work the provisional cast on. My favourite method involves using a crochet hook and a scrap piece of yarn to make a crochet chain. The cast on stitches are then knitted directly onto the crochet chain, which acts as a holder for the cast on stitches. Once you've finished your cowl you can unravel the crochet chain, which reveals the "live" cast on stitches. These are then picked up on a needle and seamed together with the other stitches on your needle using the three-needle bind off.

Three-needle Bind Off: This bind off joins two sets of "live" stitches together in a neat, secure seam. As the name suggests, it requires three needles: one needle holds the cast on stitches, the other holds the stitches at the end of the cowl, and the third needle is used to knit the stitches on both needles in order to bind them off into a seam.

• With the two needles clapped together and the right sides of the cowl facing each other, insert the third needle into the first stitch on the needle closest to you as if to knit. Insert the third needle into the first stitch on the needle in the back. There are now two stitches on the third needle. Bring the working yarn around the third needle as if to knit and bring the yarn through both stitches on both needles. * There is now one stitch on the third needle. â€¨â€¨Repeat the instructions between * and * until you have two stitches on the needle. Then, using your fingers or one of the needles holding the stitches, bring the first stitch on the third needle over the second stitch. One stitch has been bound off. â€¨â€¨Continue to knit one stitch through two stitches on your needles and bind off on the third needle until you have one stitch left on your third needle. Cut the yarn and weave through the last stitch. Notice that you have created a nice, sturdy seam that joins your cast on stitches with the last stitches on your cowl.

Row 2 (right side): Sl1 knitwise, *p1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat until you reach 1 st before the first marker, p1 tbl, sm. *Slip 1 st to DPN and hold in back, k1, k the st from the DPN. Slip next st to DPN and hold in front, k1, k the st from DPN* repeat until you reach the second marker, sm. *P1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat to end of row.

Row 3 (wrong side): repeat Row 1.

Row 4: (right side): Sl1, *p1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat until you reach 1 st before the first marker, p1 tbl, sm. *Slip 1 st to DPN and hold in front, k1, k the st from DPN. Slip next st to DPN and hold in back, k1, k the st from DPN* repeat until you reach the second marker, sm. *P1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat to end of row.

Note about yarns: Unfortunately, KPC Yarn is only available online. It's stocked in a retail store in Hong Kong. However, there are a number of other yarn options for Canadians; look for a chunky weight yarn. Berroco Vintage Chunky and Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky are very similar to the KPC chunky in gauge. Alternatively, consult your local yarn store.

Davina Choy reluctantly picked up knitting at 14, under the instruction of a family friend. Learn how an afternoon of knitting turned into a lifelong passion for Choy.

Culture & Entertainment

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

Culture & Entertainment

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

Whether you're on the hunt for a thoughtful gift that's sure to impress or simply a gift that can be delivered, your answer is easy: Go for subscription boxes.

They're trending hard in the gift department. So, what are subscription boxes exactly? Basically, there's a company out there (yes—in Canada, too!) that will bundle up specific things you're interested in and deliver them in a package right to your door. No matter what your thing is—beauty, sweets, wine, more wine—there's a subscription box for you.

Think about the people on your list and narrow down what makes them tick. Beauty buff? Get her a subscription to GLOSSYBOX. Goop-enthusiast? Mama Earth Organics. Coffee Lover? The Roasters Pack. Sweet tooth victim? Bakers Krate.

Treat your mom to Oh Mother's boxes, which will deliver pampering products to ensure she gets a little "me" time. For your daughter, Ellebox will help her get through that gloomy time of month, for the bookworm, Owl Box offers new young adult books and fun extras, and for the relative who's going through a difficult time, Caring Crate will help keep their spirit up.

And there's still plenty more subscription boxes to choose from.

Flip through the slideshow to find out some of the best boxes available to Canadians and learn about what each one has to offer.

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

For the Gwyneth in the group

Perfect for the Gwyneth-type—the one who juggles it all and is devoted to healthy, organic goods—will go crazy for this monthly subscription service. Mama Earth Organics offers healthy foods and fresh produce from local organic farms and will deliver right to her door.

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

For the one who can't come home for the holidays

Ensure your friend who's out-of-the-country doesn't get too homesick this holiday season with Expack's Canada box. It boasts classic Canadian treats—like ketchup chips, Coffee Crisps, and Flakies—that are beloved by everyone north of the border.

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

For the one with the sweet tooth

She'll probably be equally happy and mad at this gift: Bakers Krate delivers locally-sourced freshly baked goods (including cookies, brownies, and cupcakes), made by Canadian artisans, right to her front door.

Winning gift idea: Subscription boxes for everyone on your list

For the beauty buff

Help your beauty-loving bestie stay in-the-know with the classic, latest and greatest beauty finds with GLOSSYBOX. It brings makeup, hair, and skincare products to consumers’ doorsteps around the globe.

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Winter Wonderland

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

For the Little Fashionista

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $6.

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

The Christmas "It Toy"

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Sparkling Stocking Stuffers

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $8.​

Baby Doll

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

On the Fly

Fun (mostly tech-free!) holiday gifts for little ones

Merry and Bright Bracelets

Joe Fresh's new collection of sweet and stylish jewellery for kids features bright and hypoallergenic pieces inspired by travel, nature and friendship. New and exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart. Starting at $6.